-LRB- CNN -RRB- Ferguson is crumbling . The cowardly and reprehensible shooting Wednesday night of two police officers came in a tumultuous seven days for the Missouri town , which had already seen Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson announce his resignation after a damning Justice Department report on its police department .

The report , which was ordered in the wake of the killing of Michael Brown last year , highlighted a predatory policing problem and a department that was biased , prejudiced and that has regularly targeted , arrested and fined African-Americans .

Residents understandably want justice . But what 's worse in all this is that Ferguson is illustrative of a broader problem across the country as increasingly militarized majority-white police departments demonstrate consistent racial bias toward majority-black communities .

It 's a combustible mix .

In three-quarters of all U.S. cities with populations 50,000 or more , the police presence is `` disproportionately white relative to the local population , '' according to The Washington Post . And tensions are being exacerbated by the use among police departments of military weapons , and stipulations that these former war zone weapons must be used within a year of acquisition .

All this suggests a need for a completely new mindset on how we try to understand and implement policing practices across America . Indeed , a wholesale review of policies and approaches to law enforcement is needed , something that will likely necessitate drastic reforms in some departments so they can better represent , integrate , problem solve and liaise with the communities they are serving .

First and foremost , our police departments must better reflect the diverse demographics of our increasingly diverse nation , whether it be race , creed , sexual orientation and more . America is changing fast , but police departments are n't keeping up . Training and recruitment of minorities is critical , yet far more needs to be taking place . With this in mind , amplifying community policing models that work and scaling them up immediately is essential if we are to stem the growing and sometimes overwhelming tide of frustration , anger and cynicism welling up among young African , Asian and Hispanic Americans .

Second , we must radically rethink the trend toward the indiscriminate procurement and use of surplus military grade weaponry , which under the Department of Defense 's 1033 program is flowing from battlefields to our local police forces . When the weapons of war come home from Iraq and Afghanistan to help police America 's cities and towns , then you know something has gone terribly wrong with this country . Mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles , tanks , drones , grenades and assault weapons should not replace the community policing of our Main Streets . Ferguson is an excellent example of how the deployment of heavy weaponry inflames rather than de-escalates a crisis situation .

Having military equipment on our streets does not make citizens feel safer , which is why the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act was recently reintroduced in Congress . We do not need our officers looking like `` Robocop '' when they patrol our streets . It 's that simple . Yet until such a bill is passed , war weapons will continue to flood our streets ; Congress must act to stem this tide .

We understand that times have changed and that new security threats require new solutions and procedures . But it does n't justify the 150 raids per day by special weapons and tactics units for incidents that can be as benign as a Department of Education warrant . This kind of aggressive approach does n't engender the kind of engagement necessary for identifying real risks lurking in a community . In fact , the opposite happens . Intelligence opportunities are dead on arrival , and potential allies who would otherwise be ready to help shut down immediately .

Aggressive military-type action is quickly turning Americans against fellow citizens who they are ostensibly there to serve and protect . We therefore trust that President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder will take decisive action , working hand in hand with police departments all across this country . Yes , the White House 's task force on police militarization was a start , but more concrete measures are needed if we want to reverse the rising anger in Ferguson and elsewhere .

The time for a change is now . If we do n't press our police departments to reflect the makeup and needs of our communities , then towns like Ferguson will unravel further .

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Two police officers were shot Wednesday in Ferguson

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Hank Johnson , Michael Shank : Policing style needs rethink